DIGEST  OF 


A  SOCIAL  AND  RELIGIOUS  SURVEY 

OF 

BRISTOL,  CONNECTICUT, 

MADE  BY  THE 

M  en  and  Religion  Forward  Movement. 


I.  The  Community.—  Bristol  has  an  area  of  25  square  miles. 
The  estimated  population  is  14,100.  It  was  13,502  by  the  U.  S.  census 
of  June  1910,  and  increased  40  per  cent  from  1900  to  1910. 

The  city  includes  two  separate  communities;  Bristol  proper  with 
a  population  of  10,000  (  9,527  in  1910)  within  about  one  square  mile; 
Forestville,  2)4  miles  distant,  population  about  2,000:  the  remaining 
2,000  in  the  suburban  and  semi-rural  portions  of  the  city. 

Foreign  population. — There  are  no  available  statistics  as  to  the 
present  foreign  population.  In  1900,  foreign-born  residents  in  the 
borough  were  28  per  cent;  children  of  foreign-born  27  per  cent;  total 
55  per  cent.  On  the  same  basis  the  present  foreign  population, 
including  those  born  abroad  and  their  children,  would  be  7,755.  It  is 
thought  probable  that  the  proportion  of  foreign-born  does  not  vary 
greatly  from  that  in  1900,  but  that  the  proportion  of  children  of  for¬ 
eign-born  is  somewhat  increased. 

Foreign=speaking  population. — The  most  numerous  groups  of 
foreign-speaking  residents  are  Italians,  Poles  and  French  Canadians. 
These  three  groups  are  believed  to  be  approximately  equal,  but  the 
Italians  and  Poles  are  increasing  most  rapidly.  Possibly  these  races 
may  each  include  from  1,500  to  2,000.  Lithuanians  are  included  with 
Poles  in  this  grouping.  Next  come  the  Swedes,  perhaps  SCO  or  1,000; 
Germans  somewhat  less;  still  fewer  Hebrews;  Armenians  and  Per¬ 
sians  a  small  group. 

The  six  foreign-speaking  churches,  and  one  foreign-speaking 
school  will  be  mentioned  hereafter. 


2 


Voters. — The  registered  voters  are  3,168.  At  the'last  state  elect¬ 
ion,  the  vote  for  Congressman  at  large  was  Rep.  1,019,  Dem.  895,  Soc. 
85,  Soc.  L.  16,  Pro.  58.  At  the  town  election  October  1911,  the  vote 
for  town  clerk  was  Rep.  1,070,  Dem.  803,  Soc.  217.  At  the  non-parti¬ 
san  city  election  on  the  same  day  the  vote  was  for  Wade,  supported 
by  the  conservative  voters,  1,157;  Hull,  a  Socialist  leader  but  not  run¬ 
ning  on  a  party  ticket,  1,147.- 

The  Socialist  party  holds  frequent  meetings,  and  conducts  an 
active  propoganda. 

Congestion. — There  are  no  strictly  foreign  sections;  the  slum 
development  is  slight.  The  most  congested  section,  737  x  253  feet  on 
Meadow  and  Laurel  streets,  has  43  houses,  97  families,  425  persons; 
being  10  houses,  22)4.  families,  100  persons  to  the  acre. 


II.  The  Government. — A  newly  chartered  city  government  be¬ 
gan  October  2nd,  1911;  prior  to  that  the  town  covered  the  entire  area, 
and  a  borough  about  a  square  mile  in  Bristol  center.  The  present 
government  is  substantially  a  commission  government,  though  not 
exactly  following  the  usual  type.  A  Mayor  and  City  Council  of  6, 
elected  for  two  years,  appoint  all  other  officers,  and  have  power  to 
remove  them  at  pleasure  with  a  few  exceptions.  The  charter  pro¬ 
vides  for  the  Initiative  on  the  demand  of  ten  per  cent,  the  Referen¬ 
dum  on  demand  of  five  per  cent,  and  the  Recall  on  demand  of  twenty 
per  cent,  of  the  voters. 

Taxes,  Assessments  and  Debt. — The  grand  list  for  1911,  not  yet 
fully  completed,  will  be  very  near  $10,600,000.  The  tax  rate  differs 
throughout  the  city,  as  a  special  tax  is  to  be  levied  on  the  center 
(former  borough) ,  and  the  school  taxes  differ  between  the  districts. 
The  total  tax  will  probably  be  16  to  18  percent  in  the  center,  11  or  12 
in  the  rural  sections. 

Debt. — The  city  debt,  taken  over  from  the  town  and  borough, 
was  $337,224.77.  During  the  prior  ten  years,  the  town  debt  increased 
$73,426.90,  the  borough  debt  decreased  $14,080;  net  increase  $59,346.90. 
During  this  time  there  was  paid  on  construction  of  town  building 
$13,956.70,  and  on  High  School  addition  $36,274.28,  leaving  net  in¬ 
crease  of  debt  $9,015.92.  Against  this  may  be  set  considerable  ex¬ 
penditures  for  state  roads,  improved  fire  equipment,  etc. 

Police.— The  police  force  includes  a  chief,  a  captain,  4  patrolmen, 
6  supernumeraries.  The  police  force  is  believed  to  be  efficient;  and 
no  accusation  of  complicity  with  vice  or  law-breaking  has  ever  been 
made  against  it.  The  arrests  in  1911  were  525.  No  record  was  kept 


•  > 
•  > 


of  the  age  or  sex  of  prisoners,  but  such  a  record  is  to  be  kept  hereaf¬ 
ter.  “There  were  very  few  women  and  girls;  not  many  boys.’’ 

Schools. — The  last  enumeration  of  children  of  school  age  (4  to  15 
inch)  was  3,082.  Total  registration  in  public  grammar  schools  2,287; 
1,123  boys,  1,114  girls;  high  school  registration,  242;  108  boys,  134 
girls;  total  registration  of  public  schools  1,231  boys,  1,248  girls,  total 
2,479;  attendance  at  parochial  schools  489.  Total  cost  of  public 
schools  $73,091.20. 

Public  Library. — The  Bristol  Public  Library  is  wholly  supported 
by  the  city,  and  its  support  has  been  adequate  and  generous.  Its  reg¬ 
ular  expenses  in  the  last  fiscal  year  were  $6,258.48.  By  general  sub¬ 
scription  of  the  citizens,  and  from  several  legacies,  it  has  acquired  a  lot 
and  building  which  cost  about  $58,000.  The  number  of  volumes  in  the 
Librarv  January  1st,  1912,  was  20,545,  besides  many  manuscripts  and 
pamphlets. 

The  circulation  of  books  in  1911  was  79,469,  or  nearly  6  volumes 
per  capita  of  the  population — a  very  exceptional  circulation.  Of  the 
3,429  subscribers  778  are  men,  689  boys.  Users  of  the  reading  room  in 
1911,  estimated  40,000,  a  majority  men  and  boys;  of  boys  under  18, 
15,000.  A  beautiful  children’s  room,  with  special  attendant,  provides 
entertainment  and  mental  cultivation  for  the  younger  boys  and  girls. 

\l  \Ny 


) 


III.  Health  and  Vital  Statistics. — The  deaths  in  Bristol  from 
January  1902  to  January  1912  were  as  follows: 


1902  1903  1904  1905  1906  1907  1908  1909  1910  1911 


Deaths, 

145 

169 

180 

167 

170 

133 

162 

156 

186 

180 

Death  rate  per  1 ,000, 

14.3 

16.3 

17.4 

15.5 

15.4 

11.8 

14.1 

13.3 

13.8 

12.9 

Deaths  under  5, 

44 

51 

49 

58 

56 

44 

57 

55 

65 

64 

Deaths  under  1, 

30 

34 

35 

41 

40 

34 

50 

38 

50 

42 

by  tuberculosis, 

11 

9 

11 

19 

13 

12 

15 

11 

15 

16 

by  typhoid  feve 

r,  2 

12 

Q 

o 

2 

o 

o 

5 

5 

1 

2 

2 

Deaths  of  children  under  5  by  tuberculosis  only  ten  for  the  entire 
period. 


The  principal  cause  of  death  for  the  entire  period  was  pneumonia. 
For  the  purpose  of  comparison,  the  state  death  rate  for  1910,  the  latest 
year  reported,  was  15.7;  that  for  deaths  by  tuberculosis  1.29;  and  that 
for  death  by  typhoid  fever  0.146. 

If  the  Bristol  rates  had  been  those  of  the  state  in  general  there 
would  have  been  212  deaths  in  1910  instead  of  186;  17  deaths  by  tuber¬ 
culosis  instead  of  15;  two  by  typhoid  fever,  which  was  the  actual 

number. 


V 


4 

Births  in  Bristol  October  1910  to  October  1911,  boys  166,  girls  200; 
total  366. 


IV.  Public  Charities. — Town  expenditures  in  the  last  year  for 
charities  were:  care  of  the  insane  $2,429.07;  in  poor  house  $1,191.74; 

outside  aid  $6,731.08;  medical  aid  $215.75;  total  $10,567.64.  Aid  was 
furnished  to  116  persons,  not  including  casual  aid  to  tramps,  etc.,  nor 

persons  dependent  on  those  enumerated.  \ 

There  is  no  municipal  lodging  house,  and  no  hospital. 

A  considerable  amount  of  relief  by  churches  and  lodges  to  their 
members  is  not  publicly  reported. 

Visiting  Nurse  Association. — A  visiting  nurse  association  has  been 
in  operation  for  four  years,  employing  sometimes  one  and  sometimes 
two  nurses,  and  incidentally  doing  much  other  charitable  work.  This 
organization  has  been  extremely  useful,  and  is  supported  by  all 
classes  of  the  community. 

Public  Welfare  Association. — A  public  welfare  association  was 
organized  in  1911  with  the  principal  purpose  of  developing  parks  and 
playgrounds.  It  has  just  received  a  deed  of  a  tract  of  land  on  Root’s 
Island,  which  it  intends  to  develop  as  a  public  playground  as  fast  as 
its  resources  will  permit. 

This  committee  has  recommended  a  charity  organization  society, 
or  social  service  worker,  to  be  under  the  control  of  the  visiting  nurse’s 
association. 

V.  Industrial  Facts. — The  manufacturing  products  of  the  town 
are  very  various.  They  include  clocks,  iron  castings,  brass  goods, 
knit  underwear,  silver  plate,  coaster  brakes,  bells,  ball  bearings, 
springs,  steel  fish  rods,  trunk  hardware,  brass  hinges,  counters, 
cutlery,  and  other  articles. 

Number  of  Employees. — Seventeen  industries  have  reported  to  ^ 

this  committee,  including  all  the  large  factories.  Those  reporting 
employ  2,890  men,  669  women,  81  boys  under  18  (of  whom  62  are 
under  16,)  46  girls  under  16;  total  3686. 

Wages  and  Conditions  of  Work. — The  average  wage  paid  to 
men  in  the  factories  is  $2.25,  the  scale  running  from  $1.25  to  $5.00; 
only  a  few  receive  $1.25,  on  very  simple  and  unskilled  labor:  the 
average  wage  of  women  is  $1.50,  the  scale  $1.00  to  $2.00,  nearly  all 
the  children  employed  receive  $1.00  per  day. 

The  usual  factory  hours  are  50  to  59  per  week.  In  late  spring 
and  summer  the  Saturday  half  holiday  is  general.  There  is  no  Sun¬ 
day  work  in  the  factories,  except  for  watchmen  and  casual  repairs. 


5 


The  conditions  of  work  are  exceptionally  sanitary  and  healthful; 
there  is  much  press  work,  but  it  is  carefully  guarded;  no  occupational 
diseases  are  reported. 

There  is  no  central  labor  union  in  Bristol,  and  factory  work  is  not 
generally  unionized.  The  building  trades  are  unionized,  and  the 
eight  hour  day  prevails  in  building. 


VI.  Amusements  and  Social  Forces. — There  are  two  moving 
picture  theatres,  each  giving  daily  performances,  with  two  matinees 
per  week,  with  an  average  attendance  for  the  two  of  about  900.  There 
is  one  bowling  alley  and  six  poolrooms.  In  summer,  Lake  Compounce 
three  miles  distant,  is  a  popular  resort  with  boating,  swimming, 
billiards,  a  cheap  summer  theatre  and  other  amusements.  Liquor  is 
sold  here,  but  the  resort  is  well  managed  and  not  disorderly.  Band 
concerts  are  given  every  Sunday  afternoon. 

A  professional  basket  ball  team  and  a  high  school  basket  ball  team 
have  games  each  week. 

Invitation  dances  are  given  once  each  week  by  private  individuals. 
These  are  orderly  and  respectable.  There  is  no  public  dance  hall. 

There  are  about  40  lodges  in  town  with  membership  of  about 
<S,000,  of  whom  three-fourths  are  men,  one-fourth  women.  Of  course 
this  number  includes  much  duplication. 

There  are  several  social  clubs  having  a  membership  of  about  300. 
These  clubs  are  chiefly  influential  among  the  German  people.  None 
meet  in  saloons. 

There  are  two  bands;  one  American,  one  Italian. 

There  are  no  developed  parks.  There  is  a  public  green  of  three 
acres,  not  accessible  from  the  congested  district,  and  one  1-4  acre 
parked  square  near  the  railroad  station.  A  tract  has  been  bought  by 
the  Public  Welfare  Association  for  playground  development  as  stated 
above.  There  is  no  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

There  are  nine  saloons,  and  seven  bar  rooms  in  hotels.  The 
hours  fixed  bv  law  are  from  5  a.  m.  to  11  p.  m.;  and  the  law  for  Sun¬ 
day  and  night  closing,  as  well  as  the  other  laws  effecting  saloons,  is 
well  enforced.  There  are  no  bar  maids,  and  no  regular  free  lunches; 
cards  and  pool  are  the  principal  games. 

The  social  needs  of  Bristol  are  varied,  and  many  of  them  urgent. 
The  growing  life  of  the  community  calls  for  wise  planning  and  sacrifi¬ 
cial  effort.  It  is,  however,  the  conviction  of  the  Committee  that  the 
most  pressing  need  at  present  is  a  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association 
that  shall  minister  to  the  full  life  of  the  young  manhood  and  boyhood  of 
the  city,  an  institution  that  shall  supplement  the  work  of  the  churches 
and  justify  here  as  elsewhere  its  worth  in  the  good  it  may  do  for  the 


6 


community  as  a  whole.  We  are  therefore  putting  this  project  before 
the  people  of  Bristol  and  appeal  for  their  support.  A  group  of  repre¬ 
sentative  citizens  has  been  selected  who  will  take  immediate  steps  to 
perfect  the  organization  and  raise  the  necessary  funds. 


VII.  The  Churches. — There  are  sixteen  churches  in  Bristol, 
thirteen  Protestant,  and  three  Roman  Catholic;  twelve  located  in 
Bristol,  and  four  in  Forestville. 

The  Roman  Catholic  population  includes  2.250  in  the  first  parish 
in  Bristol;  1,150  in  the  French  parish  at  Bristol;  600  in  Forestville, 
connected  with  Plainville  parish;  total  R.  C.  population,  4,000.  This 
includes  children  of  all  ages,  as  well  as  all  adults  of  R.  C.  affiliation. 

This  leaves  a  population  of  10,000  whose  church  affiliation  is 
Protestant,  if  any.  Of  the  ten  Protestant  Churches  in  Bristol  proper, 
the  English  speaking  churches,  in  order  of  their  size,  are  Methodist, 
Congregational,  Baptist,  Episcopal,  Adventist.  There  are  two  Ger¬ 
man  speaking  Lutheran  churches,  one  Swedish  Lutheran,  one  Swedish 
Congregational,  and  one  Swedish  Baptist.  In  Forestville  the  only 
independent  local  church  with  resident  pastor  is  the  Methodist;  an 
Episcopal  Mission  and  a  Lutheran  Mission  are  conducted  by  the 
Bristol  churches,  and  a  Roman  Catholic  Mission  by  the  priest  at 
Plainville. 

Reports  from  nine  of  the  Protestant  churches,  including  all  but 
the  two  German  Lutheran  and  the  Forestville  Missions,  show  commu¬ 
nicant  members  2,655.  Of  these  about  one-third  are  men  and  boys, 
two-thirds  women  and  girls.  The  omitted  churches  would  carry  the 
number  to  about  3000.  This  includes  only  those  who  have  been 
admitted  to  church  membership,  upon  confession  of  Christian  faith, 
after  reaching  years  of  discretion. 

Expenses  and  Contributions. — The  nine  reporting  churches  have 
local  expenses  $22,838.26;  they  contribute  to  denominational  Home 
Missionary  Societies  $2608.04,  to  denominational  Foreign  Mission¬ 
ary  Societies  $2975.16;  to  other  missionary  societies  $705.02;  total 
Missionary  contributions  $6288.22. 

Three  churches  have  missionary  committees,  three  make  an 
every  member  canvass,  four  make  weekly  offering  for  missions;  there 
are  seven  mission  study  classes  with  an  enrollment  of  85. 

Four  men  and  boys  are  now  committed  to  missionary  service,  and 
four  others  have  gone  into  mission  work  in  the  past  ten  years. 

Men  and  Boys  in  Sunday  School.— There  are  750  boys  between 
twelve  and  eighteen  in  the  city ;  there  are  reported  in  Protestant 
Sunday  Schools  286,  in  R.  C.  Sunday  Schools  197;  to  this  should  be 


added  possibly  50  tor  churches  not  reporting. 

Of  the  Protestant  Churches  reporting,  the  total  Sunday  School 
enrollment  above  primary  age  is  1825;  male  543;  female  782.  Classes 
for  men  over  18  eleven,  enrollment  281;  mixed  adult  classes  five,  en¬ 
rollment,  men  40,  women  58;  classes  for  boys  of  12  to  18,  39,  enroll¬ 
ment  280. 

Boys’  Clubs. — The  churches  maintain  five  boys’  clubs,  reported 
membership  157.  Only  two  of  these,  with  40  members,  do  distinc¬ 
tively  religious  work. 


Note. — The  above  facts  and  estimates  were  furnished  by  various 
sub-committees  of  the  Committee  of  Fifty:  they  were  summarized  for 
publication  by  a  committee  consisting  of  Epaphroditus  Peck,  Henry 
E.  Cottle  and  Rev.  E.  L.  Wismer. 


